All About Seduction(71)

He shrugged. “I had one. I’ll send the rest home with Beth tomorrow. The children will enjoy them.”

“It was very thoughtful of Miss Dugan to send them,” she said.

No it wasn’t. It was Lucy’s effort to continue to claim him, when he’d told her that they were done. “She shouldn’t have bothered.”

Caroline’s eyebrows knit.

Jack pushed the crutches to the side and lifted his heavy cast and leg onto the bed. His damn leg was starting its usual nightly burn.

“Do you need your medicine?” she asked.

The laudanum would ease the fire in his blood and the pain in his leg. He nodded, and she spent the next few minutes mixing it with water and sugar. He deliberately put his hand around hers as he took the glass. Her fingers were freezing. Perhaps she didn’t feel the heat between them.

“Would you like me to warm your hands?”

She hesitated.

His heart thundered.

“I’ll just stir up the fire a bit,” she finally said.

His disappointment thick, he swallowed the bitter medicine and set the glass on the side table.

After she poked the fire a couple of times, she settled into the chair beside his bed and opened the book. His reading had improved but was a long way from her easy deciphering of the text. He tilted up to follow the words as she spoke them.

The door crashed open and they both jumped.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Broadhurst filled the door frame. His glower transferred from Caroline to him and back to her.

Bloody hell.

“I am sitting with the patient.” Caroline closed the book and stood.

Mr. Broadhurst glared at her. “This is where you are going every night? To sit and read to this . . . this bastard.”

His blood running cold, Jack shot up to sit. Caroline held her hand out stopping him. “He is recovering. Nights are always the worst when one is in pain.”

Mr. Broadhurst paced across the room. “This is where you have been sneaking off to,” he muttered. “I have asked one thing of you in all our marriage and this is how you repay me?”

What had he asked of her?

“Sir—” Caroline tried to interrupt.

“After all I have done for you and your family, and your promises—need I remind you of your promises and all the bargains you struck?” He slashed at the air as if it impeded him, and paced faster and harder.

Jack frowned and tilted his head.

She stepped to block his view of Broadhurst or Broadhurst’s view of him, he wasn’t sure which.

Jack pushed at the covers. What could he do if Broadhurst was intent on hurting her? “Sir—”

“Stay out of this,” said Broadhurst.

“Please, do not upset yourself, Mr. Broadhurst. It cannot be good for you,” Caroline cajoled.

“I have had enough of your lies.” He turned and made a chopping motion with his hand.

“Sir, she has only been a kind nurse,” Jack said. For as much as he wanted more, nothing had ever happened between them.

“You, shut your mouth,” said Broadhurst.

Jack reached for his crutches. He couldn’t let the man abuse her.

“Sir, the patient is not well, please do not take out your wrath on him. I am the one with whom you are angry.” Caroline’s spine straightened and she moved toward the door. “And we should discuss this elsewhere.”

Damn it, did she intend to throw herself to the lion?

The old man looked close to frothing at the lips. After a dark glare, Broadhurst stormed after her. Even though Caroline turned her palm toward him, Jack couldn’t let her go off alone with Broadhurst. Not and live with himself. He might ruin everything for his family, because the man could be vengeful, but if Broadhurst hurt her, he could never forgive himself.

After closing the door on Jack’s worried expression, Caroline crossed the hall, heading for the library, but Mr. Broadhurst grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “I have done everything I can to make this easy for you. I brought in all these men. Is it so much to ask that you—”

“Sir! We will discuss this in private.”

“There is nothing to discuss.” Mr. Broadhurst yanked her toward the stairs. “You will do as you’re bid or I will toss you out on your ear.”

She twisted her arm away and spun to face him. The hall wasn’t the best place to discuss their bargain. “I have tried,” she whispered.